Lewis Hamilton’s “fundamental issue” with the Mercedes W14 cannot be “cured” quickly, warns Toto Wolff

There's a 'specific thing' with the Mercedes W14 that makes Lewis Hamilton 'uncomfortable'. Unfortunately, as Toto Wolff says, there's no quick fix for it.

Lewis Hamilton’s “fundamental issue” with the Mercedes W14 cannot be “cured” quickly, warns Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff (L) and Lewis Hamilton (R)

Lewis Hamilton has not been having a particularly good time in F1 since the start of the new era. It’s the same case for Mercedes and Toto Wolff. Before that, of course, there were the events in the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. There, Hamilton lost out after a last-lap safety car restart. This had not been anticipated by Mercedes, and the FIA later blamed “human error” for the saga. After that, there were rumors that the Briton may choose to retire, though they came to nothing.

But 2022 was definitely not spectacular. First, of course, there was the fact that Mercedes could not produce a car capable of fighting for the championship. Or even one that was capable of consistently fighting for race wins. To pile on the misery, despite whatever the circumstances were, he was beaten by his teammate George Russell in the standings. Quite comfortably too, and his teammate led him in a 1-2 finish at the Sao Paulo GP, which was Mercedes’ only win last season.

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Even in 2023, Mercedes’ fortunes have not improved much. Far from fighting for wins or the title, in Bahrain, the W14 looked like the fourth-best car. This improved in Jeddah, and they were able to beat Ferrari, though helped along by a safety car. But one thing has been confirmed: A change of the car concept is on the cards, and they’re already working on a new one, though it will take some time to make its debut. However, there’s another issue, at least for Hamilton.

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Speaking after his P5 at the Saudi Arabian GP, Hamilton explained that Mercedes need to pick up on the rear end downforce (and downforce in general), but also: “But I think in general, just this car, even if we do change that, there’s a specific thing with something on the car that I have never had before. It’s a position I’ve not had in previous years’ cars. For me, it’s the thing that is making me uncomfortable. I’ve just got to work hard to make sure it is changed.” And it appears there is no quick fix for this.

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Toto Wolff discusses Lewis Hamilton’s issue with the W13

Toto Wolff (L) and Lewis Hamilton (R)
Toto Wolff (L) and Lewis Hamilton (R)

So, the Mercedes W14 has an issue with downforce, particularly with rear-end downforce. Thankfully, a change of car concept is in progress, and that should help better the package. In theory, at least. But as mentioned above, Hamilton has another issue with the car – though he did not disclose exactly what it is. This is especially a problem for him when the car is taken to the limit, but better during the race.

But, just like with the car concept, there’s no quick fix – it’s a fundamental issue. When quizzed by Motorsport.com on the problem, Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff said: “We have a fundamental issue he’s not happy with, and that is linked to the way he feels the rear end of the car. That’s not something that can be cured quickly. The drivers are the most important sensors in the car and if they tell us that’s what they feel, we need to consider that.”

It’ll be interesting to see if, and when, the issue is fixed. Of course, Mercedes also have to tackle the general concept and pace of the car as well. In any case, this is clearly not a good situation for Hamilton – who, of course, still hopes to win an eighth world title. Time is running out. It looks highly unlikely in 2023 But if the Silver Arrows don’t fix up soon, it risks becoming an unfulfilled dream.

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